RSRobince Studio

First Conversation in a New Language

On the trip to Mexico, Rahul finally gets to use his months of practice, ordering breakfast and chatting briefly with a hotel receptionist entirely in Spanish.

Rahul, Priya, hotel receptionist

Key words and phrases

put it into practiceto actually use a skill one has learned, rather than just studying itHe was nervous to finally put it into practice.
order in a foreign languageto request food or drink using a language other than one's ownHe managed to order in a foreign language without checking his phone.
slow down, pleasea polite request asking someone to speak less quicklyHe asked the receptionist to slow down, please.
how do you say...?a phrase used to ask for the translation of a wordHe kept asking, how do you say this in Spanish?
understand perfectlyto comprehend something completely and without confusionHe didn't understand perfectly, but he got the gist.
small talklight, casual conversation about unimportant topicsThey made small talk about the weather in Spanish.
sense of achievementa feeling of pride from having accomplished somethingHe felt a real sense of achievement afterward.
switch back to Englishto change from speaking one language back to anotherThe receptionist kindly switched back to English when he struggled.
body languagecommunication through gestures, facial expressions, and postureHer body language showed she was trying to be patient with him.
pat myself on the backto praise oneself for an achievementHe let himself pat his own back for getting through the order.
language barriera difficulty communicating caused by speaking different languagesThere was still a language barrier, but a smaller one than before.
point and gestureto communicate by indicating objects with a finger or hand movementWhen words failed, he could still point and gesture.
worth the effortdeserving the time and energy investedThe months of practice felt worth the effort in that moment.
compliment someone's accentto praise the way someone pronounces words in a languageShe complimented his accent, which made him smile.
keep practicingto continue an activity regularly in order to improveHe promised himself he'd keep practicing after the trip too.

Useful sentences

Dialogue

RahulBuenos dias. I would like two coffees and some bread, please.

receptionistOf course, sir. Anything else with that?

RahulUm, sorry, can you slow down, please? My Spanish is still new.

receptionistNo problem at all. You're doing very well, honestly.

PriyaHe's been practicing on an app for months for this exact moment.

receptionistIt shows! Your accent is quite good already.

RahulThank you. How do you say towel in Spanish? I forgot completely.

receptionistToalla. Don't worry, everyone forgets words sometimes.

RahulToalla, got it. This is honestly a real sense of achievement for me.

PriyaSee, all that practice was worth the effort after all.

Common mistakes

Quick quiz

1. What does "put it into practice" mean?

2. What does "small talk" mean?

3. What is a "language barrier"?

4. What does "switch back to English" mean?

5. What does "worth the effort" mean?

6. What does it mean to "compliment someone's accent"?

Practise speaking and listening

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